Postdoctoral position is immediately available in the Bursac lab (http://bursaclab.pratt.duke.edu/) with the focus on use of human primary myoblasts and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for studies of skeletal muscle biology and disease. Specifically, miniature human skeletal muscle tissues (“myobundles”) will be made using myogenic progenitors isolated from patients' biopsies or differentiated from hiPSCs. These skeletal muscle organoids will be designed to contain robust contractile myofibers and a pool of functional satellite cells and will be further combined with primary or hiPSC-derived endothelial and immune system cells from the same patients to develop more realistic, high-fidelity tissue-engineered models of skeletal muscle. The initial focus will be on modeling of rheumatoid arthritis, Pompe disease (glucogen storage disease type II), and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Genome engineering techniques (CRISPR/Cas9) will be utilized to improve our understanding of pathological genotype-phenotype relationships in isogenic backgrounds. Small molecule genomic and pharmacological screens will be applied to discover new therapeutic targets leading to improved skeletal muscle function. Most promising therapeutic candidates will be eventually validated in animal models of muscle disease and injury in vivo.

Qualifications include PhD in cell and molecular biology, biomedical engineering, or other relevant areas of biomedical sciences. The ideal candidate will be highly self-motivated and possess strong training in cell and molecular biology, tissue engineering, biochemical and histological techniques. Candidates with experience in culturing and differentiation of human iPS cells, genome editing, skeletal muscle biology, and in vivo models of muscle injury and disease will be given priority. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals, participate in conferences for the intellectual exchange of research ideas, engage in existing and new collaborations within and outside Duke University, and assist with training of undergraduate and graduate students, as needed. The training environment of the Bursac group is highly interdisciplinary and provides ample opportunities for scientific growth and pursuit of both academic and industry careers. Duke University is an equal opportunity employer. Interested candidates should send their resume, statement of research goals, and names of three reference writers to Dr. Nenad Bursac (nbursac@duke.edu).